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On several occasions while exploring the Commonwealth, a (presumably Brotherhood) Vertibird shows up out of nowhere and engages targets at a nearby location for approximately 5 minutes. Cursory googling only comes up with generic Vertibird information.

1) Are these sequences pre-determined for certain locations? Or is it a random occurrence that can happen anywhere?

2) Is there anything the player can do to influence anything?

3) Will I miss out on anything if I ignore these events and explore the area later? The Vertibird is usually flying around a location I wasn't planning on visiting during the current salvaging expedition.

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    Does this happen every time you are near?
    – LessPop_MoreFizz
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 5:05
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    @LessPop_MoreFizz Yes, but only while stars fall down from the sky ;)
    – Turch
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 5:09

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1) Are these sequences pre-determined for certain locations? Or is it a random occurrence that can happen anywhere?

No they are not. I've been to Revere Sattelite Array once earlier in the game and fought super mutants there with no BoS in sight. I passed by there a second time once I was further in the story, and a Vertibird showed up there and started fighting the super mutants.

2) Is there anything the player can do to influence anything?

It seems these events start randomly appearing after the Prydwen arrives in the commonwealth. This should occur following the events at Fort Hagen during the reunions questline. It does not seem as though you have to complete either of the quests Reunions or Shadow of Steel for the Vertibirds to appear.

3) Will I miss out on anything if I ignore these events and explore the area later? The Vertibird is usually flying around a location I wasn't planning on visiting during the current salvaging expedition.

Skipping past these events doesn't seem to have any impact. There is no extra loot and they are not part of any missions. The BoS members just show up to battle whatever enemies are in the area. I've seen them fighting raiders and/or super mutants so far.

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    I haven't visited the Prydwen yet (since my parents taught me to never follow strangers into their airborne dreadnoughts for the promise of free fusion cores :) but the vertibirds didn't appear before the Prydwen showed up in the Commonwealth, which makes sense, so I think that is the event that triggers the verts. I'll leave this open for a day just in case someone else has something to add. (Hey I randomly commented on one of your other answers just as you were writing this)
    – Turch
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 4:54
  • It could be just the arrival of the Prydwen that triggers the vertibirds, that would make sense. I went to it immediately after it arrived and completed the quest so I didn't know which it was. As for your edit, I still haven't completed reunions, so that quests completion can't be related either. Though I do think the arrival of the Prydwen has to do with part of the reunions questline, after you finish up at fort hagen
    – VanBuzzKill
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 8:57
  • @Turch I think it's safe to assume you don't need to finish either quest for the vertibirds to show up. I haven't completed Reunions, and you haven't completed Shadow of Steel, yet we both are seeing the vertibirds at the same point in the game.
    – VanBuzzKill
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 9:06
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    I've finished the game twice, and am well past the Prydwen showing up in my third playthrough. The vertibirds have never shown up before the Prydwen, and always show up after.
    – DCShannon
    Commented Nov 29, 2015 at 20:20
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    There actually is loot to be gained from these events: if any BoS knights are defeated during them, their power armor can be looted for parts (leg, helmet, torso and arm pieces, you can't recover the power armor frames).
    – Dan C
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 21:01

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